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Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
Why México with x?
After the phonetic changes made to Castilian to facilitate the teaching of this language in America (the continent, that is).
Mexico was originally pronounced méh-shi-ko after the Mexi-cas (meh-shí-kas) Aztecs who founded it. It was later changed to Méjico, as Texas (Téshas), after the Texas Indians, was changed into Tejas, or Texas, pronounced where the x is pronounced as h, and so on.
Most Spanish speaking countries accepted the ?j¹ spelling. Mexicans didn¹t like the change and until today they still refuse the new spelling because it changed the original spelling and pronunciation of the Mexicas. However, they compromised and changed the pronunciation into Méh-hee-ko.
After all those changes to Castilian, Quixote (kee-shó-te) became Quijote, but English clung to the original spelling. A change in spelling of a word accepted by usage? God forbid! However, as I have already pointed, modern speakers have recently changed the pronunciation into Ki-ho-te while leaving the x, as Mexicans did with Mexico. Why? Beats me.
From the book "America" Misunderstood, availablefree from my personal page at:
http://ruhig.0catch.com
Mexico was originally pronounced méh-shi-ko after the Mexi-cas (meh-shí-kas) Aztecs who founded it. It was later changed to Méjico, as Texas (Téshas), after the Texas Indians, was changed into Tejas, or Texas, pronounced where the x is pronounced as h, and so on.
Most Spanish speaking countries accepted the ?j¹ spelling. Mexicans didn¹t like the change and until today they still refuse the new spelling because it changed the original spelling and pronunciation of the Mexicas. However, they compromised and changed the pronunciation into Méh-hee-ko.
After all those changes to Castilian, Quixote (kee-shó-te) became Quijote, but English clung to the original spelling. A change in spelling of a word accepted by usage? God forbid! However, as I have already pointed, modern speakers have recently changed the pronunciation into Ki-ho-te while leaving the x, as Mexicans did with Mexico. Why? Beats me.
From the book "America" Misunderstood, availablefree from my personal page at:
http://ruhig.0catch.com
Top answer
[nq:1]After all those changes to Castilian, Quixote (kee-shó-te) became Quijote, but English clung to the original spelling. A change in ... speakers have recently changed the pronunciation into Ki-ho-te while leaving the x, as Mexicans did with Mexico.
- [nq:1]After all those changes to Castilian, Quixote (kee-shó-te) became Quijote, but English clung to the original spelling.
- A change in ...
- speakers have recently changed the pronunciation into Ki-ho-te while leaving the x, as Mexicans did with Mexico.
- Why?
- [/nq] So you expect English to go over and look at how current French spells all those words we stole and change our spelling?
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6 Answers
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[nq:1]After all those changes to Castilian, Quixote (kee-shó-te) became Quijote, but English clung to the original spelling. A change in ... speakers have recently changed the pronunciation into Ki-ho-te while leaving the x, as Mexicans did with Mexico. Why? Beats me.[/nq]
So you expect English to go over and look at how current French spells all those words we stole and change our spelling?
So you expect English to go over and look at how current French spells all those words we stole and change our spelling?
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[nq:2]After all those changes to Castilian, Quixote (kee-shó-te) became Quijote, ... the x, as Mexicans did with Mexico. Why? Beats me.[/nq]
[nq:1]So you expect English to go over and look at how current French spells all those words we stole and change our spelling?[/nq]
Wasn't it built by the Aztex?
S&
[nq:1]So you expect English to go over and look at how current French spells all those words we stole and change our spelling?[/nq]
Wasn't it built by the Aztex?
S&
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[nq:1]After the phonetic changes made to Castilian to facilitate the teaching of this language in America (the continent, that is). ... speakers have recently changed the pronunciation into Ki-ho-te while leaving the x, as Mexicans did with Mexico. Why? Beats me.[/nq]
Along similar lines:- If you are planning a holiday in the Balearic Isles, you will have to specify both "Mallorca" and "Majorc
Along similar lines:- If you are planning a holiday in the Balearic Isles, you will have to specify both "Mallorca" and "Majorc
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[nq:2]After the phonetic changes made to Castilian to facilitate the ... the x, as Mexicans did with Mexico. Why? Beats me.[/nq]
[nq:1]Along similar lines:- If you are planning a holiday in the Balearic Isles, you will have to specify both "Mallorca" ... is the fact that nobody has yet produced an anglicised version of Ibiza, which I feel ought to be Ibitha.[/nq]
"Eye-Beezer" would be anot
[nq:1]Along similar lines:- If you are planning a holiday in the Balearic Isles, you will have to specify both "Mallorca" ... is the fact that nobody has yet produced an anglicised version of Ibiza, which I feel ought to be Ibitha.[/nq]
"Eye-Beezer" would be anot
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[nq:2]So you expect English to go over and look at how current French spells all those words we stole and change our spelling?[/nq]
[nq:1]Wasn't it built by the Aztex?[/nq]
It is not the only place name to suffer. The heart of Islam is in Saudi Arabia and used to be called "Mecca". In fact, it was never spelled with these characters since the original text is in Arabic. But "Mecca" remaine
[nq:1]Wasn't it built by the Aztex?[/nq]
It is not the only place name to suffer. The heart of Islam is in Saudi Arabia and used to be called "Mecca". In fact, it was never spelled with these characters since the original text is in Arabic. But "Mecca" remaine
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[nq:1] It is now re-spelled and has become "Makkah", which is closer to the original Arabic spelling. [/nq]
Nice use of the passive voice there.
The city's name can be "re-spelled" by the Poles, or the Greeks, or the National Geographic Society, or the Armenians, or the Arabs, or the Chinese. But none of those has any authority when it comes to English language usage, and the city name is
Nice use of the passive voice there.
The city's name can be "re-spelled" by the Poles, or the Greeks, or the National Geographic Society, or the Armenians, or the Arabs, or the Chinese. But none of those has any authority when it comes to English language usage, and the city name is
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